Exhibition shows centuries of Indian history
PASADENA, Calif. -- For more than half a century, Ramesh Kapoor's family collected Indian art - colorful, intricately detailed and magical paintings - and turned what had been a hobby into a means of survival.

'Raisin in the Sun' star to sing at Carnegie Hall
NEW YORK -- Audra McDonald may be co-starring in the Broadway revival of "A Raisin in the Sun," but the three-time Tony Award winner will be taking a few days off from the Lorraine Hansberry drama in June to sing at Carnegie Hall's new performance space.

Hard work pays off for Canadian closer
LOS ANGELES - Plopped down in rural America, unable to speak or understand English, the 18-year-old pitcher felt so lonely and isolated that he desperately wanted to return home to Montreal.

Fraternity blows up cannon into apartments
COLUMBIA, Mo. Members of the Kappa Alpha fraternity tried to load an antique cannon on their front lawn with fireworks, but destroyed the cannon and blew out the window of an second floor apartment across the street.

South Dakota politician plans to undergo a sex change
RAPID CITY, S.D. -- After getting involved in a fight in the Legislature over a bill to ban civil unions, Tom Murphy decided to reveal a secret he had kept for four decades, through school, an Air Force career and then as a member of the City Council:

Odds and Ends
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- It was a stunt worthy of Animal House - and so was the way it all went awry.

State parole officials find 59 misplaced inmate files
ATLANTA -- Eighteen state prison inmates have been paroled after it was discovered that their files and those of dozens of others languished in the office of a Board of Pardons and Paroles official - in some cases for years.

Braves commit 7 errors in loss
DENVER -- Luis Gonzalez hit a three-run homer and the Colorado Rockies took advantage of seven errors by the Atlanta Braves - including four by third baseman Mark DeRosa - in a 13-4 win Sunday.

For one older student, retraining was tough and transformative
HOLYOKE, Mass. -- When Donald Vitkus went back to school, there was no first-day spring in his step, no looking forward to new friends and new ideas. There was dread at the prospect of studying again, and of being thrown in a classroom with students one-third his age.

Manufacturing growth slows in April
NEW YORK -- The nation's manufacturing sector grew at a slightly slower pace in April, in part because of escalating costs for materials, an industry group reported Monday.

EU says music licensing groups may be hampering Internet services
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union launched a probe Monday into 16 national organizations that collect royalties for composers and songwriters, charging that their system for licensing music is hampering the rollout of Internet downloading services across Europe.

Ameritrade aims for long-term investors
OMAHA, Neb. -- Gone are the television ads featuring Stuart, a frenetic, spike-haired hipster counseling his staid boss about how to buy stocks over the Internet.

Worm crashes 'Chronicle' computers
An internet worm that infected hundreds of thousands of machines worldwide caused The Augusta Chronicle's computer network to be shut down Monday morning, affecting e-mails to the paper and disrupting the way customers placed classified ads.

Oil price hits highest level since October 1990
WASHINGTON -- The price of oil rose to its highest level in more than 13 years on Monday as traders responded to the weekend killing of five Westerners working for an oil contractor in Saudi Arabia.

New factory, revamped historic Rouge site part of Ford revival
DEARBORN, Mich. -- Ford Motor Co.'s $2 billion revival of the sprawling River Rouge complex - a risky endeavor while the company battled financial problems - has transformed a gritty piece of American history into a modern model of environmental responsibility and manufacturing flexibility.

Q&A with ChoicePoint boss Derek Smith
ChoicePoint Inc. chairman Derek Smith hopes to prompt debate about the balance of security and liberty in America. Here are highlights of an interview he gave to The Associated Press.

EU-phoria
Those of us who huddled through the coldest years of the Cold War may still shake our heads at times in disbelief that it's truly over.

Augusta Tech's growth
Augusta State University and Paine College do a great job of educating young people and are huge assets to our community. Yet the fastest growing institution of higher learning in our area is neither Paine nor ASU. It's Augusta Technical College.

Not a day too soon
How much of a sacrifice did the World War II generation make for mankind?

Midland Valley merge
Aiken County's nine-mile stretch of rural Midland Valley communities between the city of Aiken and North Augusta are considering a merger. It could happen this year if Warrenville resident Sharon Gagnon has her way.

People in the News
RENO, Nev. -- Donald Trump will assume the role of apprentice himself when he puts his frailties on display in an atmosphere many find more intimidating than the corporate board room - the golf course.

Q&A: Bob Weir on the Grateful Dead
LOS ANGELES -- It's been more than 40 years since a fateful New Year's Eve encounter connected Bob Weir with Jerry Garcia and started a rock band, the Grateful Dead, that would become the eternal poster child for 1960s psychedelic music.

Disney strengthened by Comcast withdrawal
LOS ANGELES -- The withdrawal of Comcast Corp.'s bid to take over The Walt Disney Co. removes a major distraction for the media giant and strengthens the position of chief executive Michael Eisner, analysts say.

How much was the fraud at MCI?
NEW YORK -- No one can blame MCI for being eager to change the subject after a wrenching 21-month trip through scandal and bankruptcy.

Big Movers in the Stock Market
NEW YORK -- Stocks that were moving substantially or trading heavily Monday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market.

Global Crossing may be delisted from Nasdaq
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Global Crossing Ltd., the fiber-optic network that listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market less than four months ago, Monday said it may be delisted because of an accounting review.

Japanese markets closed for national holiday
TOKYO -- Japan's financial markets were closed Monday for Constitution Day, a national holiday. The markets will be closed two more days, also for national holidays, before resuming trading Thursday.

Havret and McDowell lead Italian Open
MILAN, Italy -- Gregory Havret and Graeme McDowell shared the lead at 18 under at the Italian Open on Sunday when final-round play was suspended because of darkness.

Fleisher coasts to Bruno's victory
HOOVER, Ala. -- Bruce Fleisher shot a 4-under 68 Sunday and coasted to a seven-stroke victory at the Bruno's Memorial Classic, the largest winning margin in tournament history.

Singh comes from behind to win HP Classic
NEW ORLEANS -- Vijay Singh made a 25-foot birdie on the 18th hole Monday to win the rain-delayed HP Classic, denying Masters champion Phil Mickelson his second straight victory and Joe Ogilvie his first title.

Golf Capsules
NEW ORLEANS -- Vijay Singh made a 25-foot birdie on the 18th hole Monday to win the rain-delayed HP Classic, denying Masters champion Phil Mickelson his second straight victory and Joe Ogilvie his first title.

Tant ends drought with senior victory
Roger Tant didn't mind playing four matches in two days, or waiting out a 1-hour rain and lightning delay Sunday, before winning the senior division of the City of Augusta Match Play Championship.

Burke out as Canucks' president, GM
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Brian Burke is out as president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Calgary Flames.

All lanes of I-20 to reopen this afternoon
The Georgia Department of Transportation announced this morning that repairs to a bridge on Interstate 20 will be completed this afternoon and both lanes will be reopened.

St. Joseph Hospice deserving of praise
The article "Hospice is getting a new home" in The Augusta Chronicle's April 1 Business section points up the increasing awareness of the importance of hospice and palliative care for our loved ones with terminal illnesses. A better title would have been "A new hospice is getting a home."
John and Emily Hyatt, Augusta

Congressman delivers for travelers
My wife, Alice, and I recently enjoyed a wonderful two weeks of travel in Europe visiting with our granddaughter, a student in Spain.
The Rev. Chuck C. Hunt, Augusta

Gay marriage is failed experiment
Before the United States heads further down the track toward homosexual marriage, it would be wise to consider other countries that have already taken that step.
Kathryn Lehn, Martinez

Vietnam started with Eisenhower
Since Republicans such as Mona Charen and Don Williams wrote a column and a letter to the editor stating that Vietnam was President Kennedy's war, and trying to degrade Sen. John Kerry because of his ties to the Kennedys, we need to set the record straight.
Carroll Kenny, Martinez

Andy Rooney is familiar with war
It might improve your editor's outlook on life if he had bothered to read Andy Rooney's military discharge papers. Then he wouldn't think Andy is a mean old man ("A poor 'mettle' detector," April 17, on Mr. Rooney's view of Iraq). His service record would probably disclose the following, if my memory is still working:
Carl Champlin, Aiken, S.C.

DeMint should be next S.C. senator
During 2002, I had the honor of being the Aiken County co-chairman for Gresham Barrett's U.S. House race. As we have seen, Mr. Barrett has done an excellent job while in Washington and has remained true to his principles, values and convictions for the betterment of South Carolina and the United States.
Robert G. Gossett, Graniteville, S.C.

'Hitman: Contracts' remakes assassin's greatest 'hits'
After the first few levels of "Hitman: Contracts," the third game in this shooter series about a Yul Brynner lookalike genetically engineered to wipe out bad guys with extreme prejudice, fans will experience a bit of deja vu.

Robots to the rescue
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Think Edward Scissorhands, but with bolt drivers and pliers for hands and a giraffelike neck topped with a pair of cameras resembling black cratered eyes instead of the handsome head of Johnny Depp.

Finally, a tool for compiling Web research
NEW YORK -- Beyond a proclivity for bad posture from sitting hunched in front of computers, prolific users of the World Wide Web tend to develop a desperate need for decent digital data-keeping.

New computer virus races around the world
NEW YORK -- An Internet worm that takes advantage of a known flaw with the Windows operating system raced around the world Monday, snarling tens of thousands of computers and causing Internet traffic to slow.

New tools go well beyond text chat
NEW YORK -- Instant-messaging software has evolved into the latest weapon in a fierce battle among major Internet companies to reap revenues off whatever you do, wherever you go online.

Rants and Raves
WHILE CLEANING UP the city of Augusta, please let it include the Westview Cemetery off Broad Street. They only have four workers. They don't even take care of sections under perpetual care. I'm 82 years old, and I cannot take care of mine.

Smiley inspires 2004 grads
Nationally known radio and TV host Tavis Smiley's message to Paine College graduates Sunday boiled down to just one word: time.

DOE to finance monitor on river
Georgia's program to monitor radiation in the Savannah River will be extended until Dec. 31 with a $300,000 allocation from the U.S. Energy Department, which had planned to end the program this spring.

News you can use
MAY 4, 1954 The Augusta Rams baseball team will be out of business by the end of May unless attendance at home games picks up sharply at once, President Jack Connell of the local baseball club said yesterday.

Across Georgia
ATLANTA - An 8-year-old boy was killed Monday by his 5-year-old brother, who found a handgun at a southwest Atlanta home they were visiting with their mother.

Across the Southeast
ATHENS, TENN. - An upgrade of automated fog-warning signs on a stretch of Interstate 75 where a 1990 pileup killed 11 people should be finished in June, a Tennessee Department of Transportation spokeswoman said.

Rants and raves
THIS IS FOR FOX 54: This is Sunday afternoon during the NASCAR race. One lightning strike, and it blows y'all out. I mean I'm sitting here now, the sun's shining, everything's drying up, but y'all still aren't back on the air.

SRS layoff plans go on hold
AIKEN - The company that runs Savannah River Site will release fewer than half of the 300 workers whose layoffs it had asked the Department of Energy to approve and has abandoned further layoff plans until after this fiscal year, officials announced Monday.

Special session starts
ATLANTA - Lawmakers, lobbyists and staffers returned to the Gold Dome on Monday, beginning what many hope will be a brief special session of the General Assembly dealing with legal aid for poor people.

Judicial center site needs initial study
Contamination or no contamination, city officials say a newly proposed judicial center site between Walton Way and Fenwick Street will need at least an initial environmental study before a land purchase can be considered there.

Science program receives donation
As the General Assembly convened in Atlanta for a special session to determine who gets what state money, Fort Discovery officials received a donation Monday to help its mission.

Council members take oath
NEW ELLENTON - The city swore in three new council members Monday, all of whom said they were eager to find out why New Ellenton's police chief was being investigated, with hopes that the 3-month-old inquiry could be quickly resolved.

Up to Code
CLEARWATER - When Lilian Thomas ran the Child's Play day care center in Graniteville, she often was frustrated by how long it took to have a state fire marshal come out for the required annual inspection of her facility.

Grisly detail opens death penalty trial
When investigators found the body of Robert O. Arrington's wife, they discovered that someone had pulled her shirt up over her breasts, just as someone did to Kathy Hutchens years later, District Attorney Danny Craig said Monday.

Across the area
Two Johnston, S.C., men were still being held in the Edgefield County detention center Monday after a Friday arrest on charges of trafficking crack cocaine, authorities said.

Around town
CHRIS THELEN/STAFFBrandon Davis, 12, soars down Stanton Drive on his skateboard while playing in his North Augusta neighborhood. The forecast for today is sunny with temperatures in the upper 70s.

Officials discuss state's meth problem
COLUMBIA - The advances of the information age have created unintended consequences and a nightmare for law enforcement officials trying to stem the source of the illegal stimulant methamphetamine, South Carolina's attorney general said during a seminar Monday.

Lewis avoids civil trial, reaches settlement
ATLANTA -- Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis reached a financial settlement with the daughter of one of two men killed in a fight after the Super Bowl in January 2000, avoiding a civil trial scheduled to begin next month.

Five questions with Brian Hobbins
Brian Hobbins, a law enforcement corporal for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, answers five questions for The Augusta Chronicle.

The week ahead
Everyone has a passion in life. For some, it might be family, or doing good works, or amassing a killer collection of Swamp Thing comic books. For author Steve Almond (I kid you not), it's candy. On Tuesday, Mr. Almond's (man, that just gets funnier and funnier) learned treatise on all things sweet and sugary, appropriately called Candyfreak, hit bookstores. Perhaps now the question of plain or peanut can finally be answered. At any rate, Candyfreak is my best bet for this week. Here's what else is happening.

DSS could face penalties
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The state Department of Social Services may face an $8 million penalty for failing to meet federal standards and any further budget cuts could keep it from its core mission of protecting children and vulnerable adults, agency director Kim Aydlette is telling lawmakers.

Court votes to disbar attorney
ATLANTA - The Georgia Supreme Court disbarred an Augusta attorney Monday for improperly borrowing $120,000 a client was managing to help finance an emu farm, which failed.

Sanford starts bike ride across the state
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The challenge was different for each of the scores of bicyclists who pedaled along South Carolina's back roads with Gov. Mark Sanford on Saturday.

Afternoon accident
Michael Cash, of Kendrick Paint and Body Shop Inc., attaches cables to a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport on Jones Street so he will be able to flip the automobile over. The driver, Varrick Harris, was hit from behind by another motorist. Mr. Harris suffered only minor cuts in the wreck and was given a citation for improper lane change.

Ozmint says assaults down at state prisons
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Despite staff turnover rates that are "disastrous," tight budgets and an influx of new inmates, Corrections Department director Jon Ozmint says assaults are down in every category.

July 20 Ballot questions
Here are the yes/no questions Columbia County voters will see on their primary election ballots July 20:

Collins says Isakson wears moderate label
DULUTH, Ga. -- Describing himself as the only candidate with a true conservative voting record, Rep. Mac Collins told Gwinnett County Republicans that Rep. Johnny Isakson is a moderate candidate in the race for U.S. Senate.

Delta reports computer-oriented delays cleared up
ATLANTA -- A computer glitch that grounded Delta Air Lines flights to and from Atlanta for about 6 1/2 hours and caused delays over the weekend has been solved, and the airline was trying to determine the cause of the malfunction.

Some say killing of white woman sparks different response
SAVANNAH, Ga. -- After the first eight homicides of the year passed with little public comment from city officials, some noted a very different tone when the ninth killing prompted a splashy press conference and a new plan for fighting crime.

Cafe and bakery chain to name interim president
ATLANTA -- Atlanta Bread Co. plans to name an interim president Monday in the absence of current president and chief executive Jerry Couvaras, who is accused of scheming to defraud investors in South Africa.

Around town
Brandon Davis, 12, soars down Stanton Drive on his skateboard while playing in his North Augusta neighborhood. The forecast for today is sunny with temperatures in the upper 70s.

Security or spying? Police gather intel on G-8 protests
SAVANNAH, Ga. -- New Jersey professor Trent Schroyer's group doesn't stage a typical G-8 protest. It's mostly academics who prefer a symposium to the streets, using the world leaders' summit as a backdrop for sit-down discussions focused on alternative economic policies.

Rants and Raves
WHILE CLEANING UP the city of Augusta, please let it include the Westview Cemetery off Broad Street. They only have four workers. They don't even take care of sections under perpetual care. I'm 82 years old, and I cannot take care of mine.

Across South Carolina
GREENVILLE - Despite "disastrous" staff turnover rates, tight budgets and an influx of new inmates, Corrections Department Director Jon Ozmint says prison assaults are down in every category.

Rants and raves
THIS IS FOR FOX 54: This is Sunday afternoon during the NASCAR race. One lightning strike, and it blows y'all out. I mean I'm sitting here now, the sun's shining, everything's drying up, but y'all still aren't back on the air.

Waiting for a bite
michael holahan/staffJustin Shoupe, 16, of North Augusta, fishes in the Savannah River from the boat ramp near Riverview Park. Justin, who took advantage of a break in the thunderstorms to get to the river, said he had caught bass and catfish before but was having no luck Sunday.

Black Republican candidates draw attention
ATLANTA - When Willie Talton became one of the first black law enforcement officials of central Georgia's Houston County in 1965, staking a place for himself in history wasn't on his mind.

Money divides GOP hopefuls
AIKEN - The race among Republicans vying for the state's U.S. Senate seat is quickening from a jog to a sprint, but only a handful of candidates have the big bank accounts needed to run statewide campaigns until the end.

Hopes are for speedy session
ATLANTA - The gavels that bring today's special session to order in the House and Senate might still be vibrating from the opening when it's time to adjourn for the day.

Across the area
An Augusta man told police someone shot at him while he was driving.

Officials discuss state's meth problem
COLUMBIA - The advances of the information age have created unintended consequences and a nightmare for law enforcement officials trying to stem the source of the illegal stimulant methamphetamine, South Carolina's attorney general said during a seminar Monday.

Across Georgia
MCDONOUGH - A Henry County police officer died Sunday morning after he crashed his car into the back of a tractor-trailer parked in an emergency lane on Interstate 75, authorities said.

Kid of the day
Today's kid of the day is Jakayla Bryana Hall, 2, of Augusta.

Points race tightening up at top
FONTANA, Calif. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled with his Chevrolet throughout the Auto Club 500 on Sunday at California Speedway, but a 19th-place finish helped him maintain his lead in the Nextel Cup Series standings.

California is a dream for Gordon
FONTANA, Calif. - Even after the second-, third- and fourth-place cars ran out of gas on the final lap of Sunday's Auto Club 500, Jeff Gordon had just enough fuel - and a tank overflowing with confidence - to make a victory lap around California Speedway.

Hornets force Game 7
NEW ORLEANS -- The Heat and Hornets will have one more chance to shove, scream and squabble. The only first-round series in the NBA playoffs to last beyond six games will go the distance.

Minnesota's Garnett gets league MVP
MINNEAPOLIS - It was a little more than seven months ago that Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett sat behind a table in the Target Center Skyway concourse, wearing a black suit and grinning from ear to ear between his diamond-studded earrings while announcing his new $100 million contract extension.

Playoff futility record eclipsed
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - New Jersey and Detroit played the lowest-scoring first half in NBA playoff history Monday night, combining for just 62 points as the Pistons held a 37-25 lead at halftime.

Richmond regroups in victory
It was a shot to the chin Richmond Academy needed in the Georgia High School Association Class AAA soccer tournament. Westover put that figurative fist to jaw a little over ten minutes into play against the Musketeers on Monday in the second round of the state playoffs.

Limehouse out of Preakness
A fourth-place finish in Saturday's Kentucky Derby apparently isn't good enough for Limehouse to earn a trip to Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes.

Overtime
South Carolina's Arik Hempy has been named SEC Pitcher of the Week after chalking up a win and a save in the Gamecocks' weekend series with No. 9 Mississippi.

Overtime
In Atlanta, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis reached a financial settlement with the daughter of one of two men killed in a fight after the Super Bowl in January 2000, avoiding a civil trial scheduled to begin next month.

McDowell claims Italian Open
MILAN, Italy - Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland won a playoff with Thomas Levet of France on the fourth extra hole to win the rain-delayed Italian Open.

On to the Preakness
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones licked up his tub of feed, smacked around a net full of hay, looked "great" on Sunday, and is likely headed to the Preakness is two weeks.

Polygamy still an option for parts of West Africa
DAKAR, Senegal -- Monday and Tuesday are with Mame Seye. Wednesday and Thursday, it's Khady. Then, Ibrahima Sene, a successful businessman, welcomes his third lawfully wedded spouse, Aida - perfumed, coifed and arrayed in her finest - into his bedroom for two nights.

Farrakhan condemns alleged prisoner abuse in Iraq
WASHINGTON -- Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan condemned the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners by the U.S. military Monday, saying it was the latest example of U.S. unjustified violence against Islamic nations.

TV Lookout: highlights (and lowlights) for the week
When does "smart" become "brilliant"? When Pentagon planners pour billions of dollars into a new breed of weaponry systems that seem more akin to science fiction and video arcades than real-life battlefields. At least, that's the plan.

'Friends' Finale: A look back at Ross
It's been 10 years since the pitiful paleontologist Ross stumbled into our lives. Here's a look back who he is, what he's done and what we expect him to befall him next:

Drew Carey is quietly going away
NEW YORK -- For all the attention given to this week's "Friends" finale, another long-running comedy taped its final episode a few weeks ago - and few people outside its Hollywood set were aware of it.

'Friends' Finale: A look back at Chandler
Ah, Chandler, that whipsmart guy hard-pressed to find the fast track on his personal roadmap. A look back at how this loser in love actually ended up a husband and father:

Diamond Dogs extend win streak
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia stretched its winning streak to nine games as senior left-hander Paul Lubrana threw the team's first complete game in three years in a 5-1 win over Kentucky on Sunday.

4-1-1
Pantene, MTV and YM magazine are seeking unsigned female solo artists and female-fronted bands to try out for the Pantene Pro-Voice Music Competition.The competition is open to performers ages 14-24. The grand-prize winner will win a package that includes $5,000 to invest in her music career, tickets to the MTV Video Music Awards and a trip to New York City to perform alongside singers Ashanti, Fefe Dobson and another music sensation to be named later.

My style
THE FACTS: Terrence Jackson, 18, a senior at Glenn Hills High School

Girl should tell guy friend how she is feeling
THIS WEEK'S PROBLEM: I'm talking to this boy at school. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend, but we talk seriously. He doesn't seem to get that I want to be more than what we are, and every time I see him he's constantly flirting with some other girl.

Students uneasy about security checks
Safety is an issue that is constantly brought up in high schools today, but in the process of trying to protect students, schools have somehow lost their sense of respect for them.

Picture perfect
It's the time of your life, so why not share it with us? We're looking for your prom snapshots, those photos you will cherish forever.

Pianist wins state competition
Winning isn't the goal when playing music, but for Marilyn Qian Li, 15, who recently placed first among ninth-graders in the Georgia Music Teachers Association's Piano Competition, winning isn't that bad.